Kyle Chambers, 20, of Rochester attended a Raise the Age press conference last fall to share how being incarcerated at 16 affected his life.

Written by

PAUL SCHUH and VAN WHITE
Guest Essayists

These days, it seems people disagree more than ever. Political polarization has reached record highs and every matter of policy has become a no-holds-barred battleground. But there's one area of public concern where we can all agree: safety. Every community wants less crime, and a facts-based approach to public safety lets us set conflicting ideologies aside and work together to keep crime low.

Unfortunately, looking at the facts reveals one policy that's making every community in New York less safe. Our state is one of only two in the entire nation that prosecutes children as young as 16 as ...